Traveler's Grass

Grass of the Great Plains

The Great Plains is a great example of a homogenous ecosystem as the only grass that grows across the plains is Traveler's Grass. Amongst the more magical plants of the world, this brome-like grass is rather nondescript, seemingly nothing more than simple oats or wheat. At first glance, there seem to be no special characteristics to this grass, making one think that it is little different than the grasses that cover the Cradle of Clay or other large plains throughout the world.

Traveler's Grass earns its distinction in terms of size and the plant's innate abilities to grow to match the height of the plant next to it. Scholars at one point believed that this was a magical property that allowed the grass to grow to extreme heights, but it is now known that the massive root system below the Great Plains allows the individual shoots to grow to match others as the Traveler's Grass is seemingly one large plant.

Although rarely studied, the Traveler's Grass has shown the extremely hardy properties of the trees in the Timbers of the Furnace in regards to quickly replacing any that have been removed. No amount of cutting back the Traveler's Grass from a settlement will stem its growth nor no amount of burning seems to harm the plains for any amount of time.

— Appendix G of the Yllvalion Codex, Flora & Fauna of the Great Plains

Traveler's Grass is the most common plant found in the Great Plains, creating a large barrier to entering the area as well as traversing anything other than defined paths. The grass can grow to incredible heights, sometimes over thirty feet in height. This thick grass grows closely together and seemingly has a single root system that provides for the whole of the Great Plains.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Traveler's Grass is often referred to as a brome-like grass or something similar to a wheat or oat in terms of appearance. Growing in dense groups, this grass grows to incredible heights with stocky stems that are difficult to move through. In the warmer months, the grass remains a bright green color, but as the air begins to cool, the grass will often change to a yellow color that it will keep until the days begin to warm again. An extremely hardy grass, it is almost impossible to kill a group of Traveler's Grass as burning or cutting spurs the grass to grow back quickly, often within a couple of days.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Great Plains

Great Plains by Landscape via Artbreeder, created by RiverFang

The Great Plains are home to the Humans as well as oversized flora and fauna in the Dinosaurs and Traveler's Grass that run rampant in the area. It is difficult to tell how the elevation in this area changes due to the odd quirks of the Traveler's Grass causing the plains to be a level field of grass.

Although considered a hardy and cool-season grass, Traveler's Grass only exists in one location in the world. The Great Plains seems to provide the perfect habitat for the grass, allowing it to grow to astronomical proportions, especially in the more central areas of the Great Plains where the land dips down into hollows and valleys. If one were to look over the Great Plains from the sky, one would only see an expanse of land that is perfectly level with no depressions or blemishes.
Due to the ability of the Traveler's Grass to grow to great heights to match the grass nearby, the lower elevations of the Great Plains become home to all manner of dangerous creatures that can easily hide amongst the tall grass. Dinosaurs are the largest known predators of the area, but it is unknown if some of the deeper depressions and watering holes hold more horrific monsters. Smaller creatures often have issues moving between the clumps of taller grass so it is assumed that any creature that could live amongst the Dinosaurs would have to be large.
As the Great Plains slowly turns to the shores of the Gweyr and Lake Idryl to the west, the Cradle of Clay to the north, the Great Furnaces to the east, and the Little Greenwood to the south, the Traveler's Grass becomes sparser, thinning out as one moves away from the center of the Great Plains. The grass seems to also

taper in height here, but only as the amount of grass dwindles and there aren't as many shoots to measure height against. Eventually, the grass thins until there may only be one or two stands of grass left. This grass is often not as hardy and may not be part of the same root system, but this has not been fully studied.

Traveler's Grass

Traveler's Grass by Image via Midjourney, created by Riverfang

Traveler's Grass is an oddity, even amongst the magical plants of the world. There is no maximum height this grass can grow as a single shoot will continue growing to match the height of the plant next to it. In some places in the Great Plains, this grass can be over thirty feet tall.

Scientific Name

Bouteloua Travilis

Lifespan

Seemingly Forever

Conservation Status

Due to the abundant nature of the grass, instead of working towards conservation, Scholars actively look for ways to thin the grass to make it safe for travelers throughout the Great Plains.

Average Height

At Least As Tall as the Grass Around It

Geographic Distribution

• Great Plains

Related Ethnicities

• Human Culture

Uses, Products, & Exploitation

As Traveler's Grass constantly grows, it is necessary to cut down or burn the grass around towns to provide a measure of safety. Magical means seem to be the only way to slow the growth rate of the grass enough to leave a fifty-yard clearing around individual settlements. Any grass that is removed to create this area of safety is utilized in a variety of ways, including as fuel for fires and forges, thatching for roofs, bedding in stables and inns, as well as whatever other uses people come up with. With an abundance of the grass, people of the Human Empire have become creative in their uses.